Skip navigation
Navigation skipped

News Releases

BMO Spend & Payment SolutionsTM Expands its Global Reach: Adds Eight New Countries to Growing Global Banking Alliance

TORONTO, July 29, 2008 – BMO Spend & Payment Solutions, a leading North American provider of advanced commercial card solutions, today announced that it has further expanded its global banking partnerships, allowing customers to conduct business through Asia's United Overseas Bank and Europe's BCC Corporate NV. The agreements further expand BMO's international footprint and enable North American companies to conduct business more efficiently worldwide.

United Overseas Bank, which became a BMO partner last year through its operations in Malaysia, has expanded this relationship to include its locations in Hong Kong, China; Singapore; Thailand; and Indonesia. BCC Corporate has partnered with BMO in the following countries: Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and France.

“We're always looking for opportunities to grow our global network, which makes it easier for our customers to do business around the world,'' said Terry Wellesley, Managing Director of BMO Spend & Payment Solutions. “We'll continue to seek these partnerships so that our customers have ready access to one of the strongest commercial card programs available in the industry.”

BMO has been rapidly growing its global capabilities by developing alliances with leading institutions around the world. The alliances enable BMO to provide an unparalleled worldwide network with local support banks, making it possible to service corporate card accounts virtually anywhere. This allows BMO customers – among the leaders in today's global economy – to conduct business more efficiently worldwide.

Through BMO detailsOnline, its proprietary database for reporting, analysis and management, clients have the ability to review procurement and travel expenses by both individual country and a worldwide rollup in a single currency. The suite of global reports provides customers greater expense oversight, streamlined activities, and better cash flow for their business transactions at home and abroad.

“It's important for BCC Corporate to continue offering customers access to a worldwide commercial card network and expanded card offerings,” said Wouter Versonnen, Head of Sales at BCC Corporate NV. “BMO is the right fit for us as we service customers that need the best solutions to effectively manage their corporate transactions.”

United Overseas Bank and BCC Corporate NV join several other financial institutions in India, Italy, China, Australia, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Chile as partners in BMO's global commercial card network.

About BMO Spend & Payment Solutions
A division of BMO Financial Group, BMO Spend & Payment Solutions (formerly BMO ePurchasing Solutions) is a top 10 commercial card provider and a leading provider of spend and payment solutions in North America. BMO Spend & Payment Solutions' products are widely used by corporations, non-profit and government sector organizations to manage, control and gain better visibility into their commercial spending.

Through Harris N.A., a Midwest-based and wholly owned subsidiary of BMO Financial Group, BMO Spend & Payment Solutions offers a comprehensive range of financial products and services to U.S. public and private sector organizations.

About United Overseas Bank
United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Singapore with a global network of over 500 branches/offices and subsidiaries/associates in 18 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific, Western Europe and North America. UOB offers an extensive range of commercial and personal financial services through its branches as well as through its subsidiaries and associate companies.

About BCC Corporate NV
BCC Corporate focuses fully on credit cards and related services for companies to generate savings, increase control, and provide comfort for corporations. Four major Belgian banks -- Fortis, Dexia, ING and KBC -- hold stakes in BCC Corporate. In 2007, a turnover growth of 25 percent was achieved with a 65 percent market share in Belgium. BCC Corporate provides extensive insurance and reporting packages linked to corporate cards and is much more flexible concerning the payment terms, payment methods and closing dates of the accounts. The corporate range consists of three products: corporate cards, related cards and travel key cards and are issued in most European countries in Eurozone.

- 30 -